EU to consider listing Hezbollah as terrorist group

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation - Wed, 6 Feb 2013 11:59 GMT

Author: Reuters

BRUSSELS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The European Union will consider adding Lebanon's Hezbollah movement to its list of terrorist organisations after it was implicated in a bombing in Bulgaria last year, an EU foreign affairs spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

However, she said listing the group was just one of several options and said no decision had been taken.

"Currently, Hezbollah is not on the list of terrorist organisations in the EU and member states will look into several options. This is one of them but not the only one," Maja Kocijancic told reporters.

EU foreign ministers meet on Feb. 18 for a regular gathering at which the issue could be discussed.

Bulgaria on Tuesday accused Hezbollah of carrying out a bomb attack on a bus in the Black Sea city of Burgas that killed five Israeli tourists.

The United States already lists the group as a terrorist organisation and U.S. and Israeli authorities want to see the EU take a similar position.

Kocijancic said other options included EU member states taking action against Hezbollah via Europol, the European policing agency, via the courts or through other diplomatic channels, but she did not elaborate. (Reporting by Justyna Pawlak; editing by Andrew Roche)

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